The championships are coming to Eugene again this year! No, we’re not talking about sportsball — we’re talking about pinball. The Oregon State Pinball Championship is at Level Up Arcade Saturday, Jan. 18, but in years past (2019 and 2023) it was held at Blairally. “Level Up has a fantastic selection of well-maintained pinball machines,” says Matt Walton, founder of the Emerald City Pinball League. Walton has been playing pinball since he was 5 years old, when he’d play on the Funhouse-themed machine at the lodge his parents bartended. “It has an animatronic clown head that you can hit the ball into the mouth of,” he says. “Sticks with you as a youngster.” He will be competing for the title of state champion alongside six other league members: Adam Jones, Eric Merchant, Michael Veirs, Justinn Medina, Joe Emery and Hayden Harker. The seven Eugene locals have stiff competition ahead of them, as a total 24 pinball fanatics will be competing to move on to the International Flipper Pinball Association’s North American Pinball Championship in Rochester, New York. “Every person’s path into the hobby is unique,” Walton says. “Some become collectors, some become tournament players, some love finding a lone machine in a dark corner of a dive bar and trying to beat their personal best on a game.” Lucky for you, Level Up will be hosting an Open Tournament on the same day — for just $5, you can test your own skills, and maybe fall a little bit in love with the ding ding ding! of those pinball machines.

The Oregon State Pinball Championship starts 11 am Saturday, Jan. 18, at Level Up Arcade, 1290 Oak Street; spectating is FREE. The Open Tournament begins at 1 pm; $5. Email EmeraldCityPinball@Gmail.com to learn more or join the Emerald City Pinball League.